Ivica Zubac
A towering, fundamentally sound center whose steady presence in the paint was vital to the LA Clippers' deepest playoff runs.
Born 1997 (age 29)·Croatian basketball player·Birthday: March 18·Generation Z
Biography
Ivica Zubac represents the enduring value of old-school, low-post craftsmanship in a modern NBA obsessed with speed and shooting. The Croatian big man arrived from Europe with a soft touch around the rim and a keen understanding of positioning. Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, he showed flashes but found his true home across the hall with the LA Clippers. There, under the guidance of coach Tyronn Lue, Zubac blossomed into a defensive anchor and a reliable finisher. His game isn't flashy—it's built on setting bone-crushing screens, securing rebounds in traffic, and protecting the rim with disciplined timing. His contributions were never more evident than during the Clippers' 2021 playoff run to their first-ever Western Conference Finals, where his size and consistency were non-negotiable assets. A mid-career trade to the Indiana Pacers in 2026 placed his traditional skills in a starkly different, fast-paced system, testing his adaptability once more.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Ivica was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ivica Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Ivica's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played a crucial role as the starting center for the LA Clippers team that reached the 2021 Western Conference Finals, a franchise first.
- Recorded a 30-point, 25-rebound game in 2023, showcasing a dominant interior performance.
- Established himself as one of the NBA's most consistent screen-setters and interior defenders during his tenure with the Clippers.
- Represented the Croatian national team in multiple FIBA EuroBasket and World Cup tournaments.
Did You Know?
He was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Zubac stands 7 feet tall and has a wingspan reported to be over 7 feet 4 inches.
He goes by the nickname 'Zu'.
“My job is to protect the paint and finish every play with strength.”
